The Czar is not sure where to go with this. It’s a New York Times piece by Carl Hulse, purporting to describe how the GOP is a conniving little bunch trying to “drive a wedge” between Speaker Pelosi and POTUS Obama. That’s a nice, anti-vampirical image for the Czar, but the entry is a bit light on the details.

For example, there follows a comment from a Republican complaining about the pork in the Stimulus package. Yes, that is a shot about Madame Speaker, but the Czar cannot find any link to the President in that criticism.

Then continues some speculation on how a GOP strategy to drive some sort of wedge could work, in theory, and Mr. Hulse adds, “From Ms. Pelosi’s vantage point, the Republican strategy is simply evidence of their own failures.” Except, Mr. Hulse, you have not listed a single failure. All you provided was a single criticism about Madame Speaker’s involvement in pork creation.

We then wrap up this non-evidentiary strategic analysis with a quote from Ms. Pelosi that she intends to work with the President. Still no evidence of a GOP wedge.

This is the part that entertains the Czar most: Mr. Hulse proceeds to list a few examples, though, of where Ms. Pelosi and the President disagree on political points. Ranging from legislation to the Iraq War, Mr. Hulse’s examples seem to be proving a Democratic wedge may be present. Or a Hulse wedge. Either is equally more supported by facts.

But back to the GOP’s wedge strategy. Ready? The GOP actually sent the President a letter (the most insidious form of wedge document, in eyes of Mr. Hulse) urging him to veto the package. The Czar reels from this Phantom Menace-like strategy, in which one political party sends the President a request not to sign legislation. Of course, Mr. Hulse adds, “there was no specific mention of Ms. Pelosi” in the letter. The Czar realizes how George III could have brilliantly divided and defeated the Northern and Southern colonists by sending a letter to John Hancock asking him not to sign the Declaration. Foolproof.

Sorry, Mr. Hulse. Your opinion piece not only fails to identify a single example of a GOP-plan to divide the Speaker from the President, but frankly did a reasonably good job of creating plausible division from the Democratic side.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.